‘Reacher’ Season 4, Episode 3 Recap: One Small Step Deepens the Mystery

Reacher Season 4, Episode 3, titled “One Small Step,” pushes Jack Reacher deeper into the mystery surrounding Anna Merrick while revealing that several people have been lying about what happened before her death.



Major spoilers for Reacher Season 4, Episode 3 follow.




Episode: Season 4, Episode 3



Title: “One Small Step”



Release date: August 12, 2026



Runtime: 45 minutes



Streaming: Prime Video



Genre: Action, crime drama



Season length: Eight episodes




Episode 3 arrived alongside the first two episodes on August 12. Prime Video will now release one episode every Wednesday through the Season 4 finale on September 16.



Reacher Season 4, Episode 3 Recap



The episode begins with Reacher, Tamara, Jacob, and journalist Russell Plum trying to understand Nolan Cahill’s connection to Anna. Their investigation quickly turns violent after Russell admits that he posted online about Anna’s missing flash drive.



CIA agents arrive at Russell’s building, but another armed group attacks them first. Reacher takes down the remaining gunmen and finds two addresses on one of them, including the location where Lila is staying.



Reacher later meets Lila at a bowling alley and confronts her over the holes in her story. Lila finally admits that she is a journalist and that Amisha is not her mother. She also says she does not really believe John Sampson is her father.



According to Lila, she has been investigating allegations that Sampson trained forces commanded by General Putra in Indonesia, where civilians were tortured and killed. Anna apparently discovered information connected to this operation and planned to get the missing flash drive to Lila.



Their meeting turns into another ambush, leading to a large fight inside the bowling alley. Reacher uses whatever he can find around him to fight back, while Lila eventually helps him survive the attack. The pair later return to Reacher’s hotel and grow considerably closer.



Anna Merrick Was Hiding Something Much Bigger



Meanwhile, Tamara, Jacob, and Russell find Anna’s abandoned car, which has already been searched. More importantly, they discover another work badge belonging to Anna.



Russell analyzes the badge and learns that Anna had Level 8 security clearance, raising an obvious question about why someone described as an ordinary HR employee had access to highly classified material.



Reacher then visits Sampson, who confirms that he knew General Putra but denies taking part in attacks against civilians. Reacher also reveals that he personally saw Cahill on the subway when Anna died.



The group eventually confronts Cahill, but he refuses to explain what happened. After apologizing to Sampson, Cahill jumps from the roof to his death, leaving Reacher with another dead witness and even more unanswered questions.



Where the Story Goes Next



Season 3 ended with Reacher defeating Paulie, killing Xavier Quinn, and closing his investigation into the Beck organization and its arms-trafficking operation. Season 4 gives him an entirely separate case based on Lee Child’s Gone Tomorrow, beginning with Anna’s death on a Philadelphia subway and the disappearance of a flash drive powerful groups desperately want.



After Episode 3, Anna and Cahill are dead, Ben remains missing, Lila has admitted lying to Reacher, and two different armed groups are hunting the same drive. Episode 4, “Karambits and Pieces,” arrives on August 19.



What do you think Anna discovered, and can Reacher really trust Lila after everything she has hidden from him? Let us know in the comments.